Neighbourhood plans

Neighbourhood Plans are a way for communities to decide the future of the places where they live and work.

Through the Localism Act and the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations, communities can:

• Make their own neighbourhood plan – A document to set out where new houses, shops or businesses should go in their area, to guide what new buildings should look like in their area or to designate new open spaces
• Make their own neighbourhood development order – This grants planning permission for new development communities want to see go ahead in their area and means a planning application would not be needed
• Make a community right to build order – This grants planning permission for a specific use on a specific site.

The My Community Rights website has advice about Neighbourhood Planning and sets out how you can access the support which is available.

The first stage in preparing a Neighbourhood Plan is for a Neighbourhood Forum and Neighbourhood Area to be agreed and designated under the Neighbourhood Forum Regulations.

Milton Neighbourhood Planning Forum have prepared a neighbourhood plan which outlines a way forward for the area for the next 15 years.

The Milton Neighbourhood Plan has reached the final stage of its adoption process. Following the independent examiner’s recommendation (in June 2022), the Milton Neighbourhood Plan proceeded to a referendum.

The referendum took place on 18 August 2022 whereby residents who live in the Milton Neighbourhood Plan area as shown on the referendum map (link below), had the chance to vote on the plan and its content, to decide if it should be used in determining planning decisions in the city.

The question asked in the Referendum was the following:

“Do you want Portsmouth City Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Milton to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

There were 1,379 votes cast in favour of adopting the Milton Neighbourhood Plan and 174 against adopting the plan. More than half (88.7%) of those who voted, voted in favour of adopting the plan and therefore it was made on 19 August 2022.

The Plan went to Cabinet on the 27 September (which recommended it proceed to full Council) then on to full Council on the 11 October where the plan was ‘made’.

The Neighbourhood Plan will now help determine planning applications in the Milton Neighbourhood Area. It will also form part of the statutory development plan for Portsmouth.

Where can I find out more?

For further information on the plan process and referendum details, please visit the Milton Neighbourhood Plan website. Additional documents including the adopted plan can be found via the links below:

The Adopted Milton Neighbourhood Plan 

Adopted Milton Neighbourhood Plan proposals map

Adopted Milton Neighbourhood Plan Greenspace map

Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet recommendation for approval

The independent examiner’s report on the Milton Neighbourhood Plan

A summary of representations submitted to the independent examiner following consultation on the Plan

A Decision Statement from the Local Planning Authority which confirms the draft Neighbourhood Plan meets the basic conditions and other legislative requirements. It also confirms that the neighbourhood plan can proceed to referendum

Referendum Area map

For queries regarding planning policy and neighbourhood planning in general, please contact the Planning Policy Team at planningpolicy@portsmouthcc.gov.uk